Venous thromboembolism and the risk of death and graft loss in kidney transplant recipients

Background — The implications of venous thromboembolism (VTE) for morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant recipients are not well described.

Methods — We conducted a retrospective study using linked healthcare databases in Ontario, Canada to determine the risk and complications of VTE in kidney transplant recipients from 2003 to 2013. We compared the incidence rate of VTE in recipients (n = 4,343) and a matched (1:4) sample of the general population (n = 17,372). For recipients with evidence of a VTE posttransplant, we compared adverse clinical outcomes (death, graft loss) to matched (1:2) recipients without evidence of a VTE posttransplant.